PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland head coach Terry Porter returned to the NBA arena that hangs his jersey in the rafters and came away with a pair of wins this weekend. Porter and the Pilots knocked off Oregon State, 53-45 on Sunday before an announced crowd of 8,334 fans on Sunday at Moda Center, home of the Portland Trail Blazers where Porter played 10 seasons. The Pilots also defeated South Dakota, 85-82, on Friday night.

It marks the first win over a Pac-12 opponent for the Pilots since beating Oregon and UCLA during the 2009-10 season.

The backcourt duo of senior Alec Wintering and sophomore Jazz Johnson, who entered the game as the No. 5 scoring tandem in the nation, struggled early but provided most of the scoring late as the Pilots (7-3) pulled away in the second half.

Wintering scored eight straight points to spark the Pilots to a 43-33 lead with 6:38 remaining. Despite starters Philipp Hartwich and D'Marques Tyson fouling out in the closing minutes, the Pilots were able to hold on as the Beavers (3-9) never got closer than six for the remainder of the game.

Hartwich provided a big boost by matching a career-high with 12 rebounds and blocking three shots. He also was the primary defender on Oregon State big man Drew Eubanks, who averaged 14 points and nine rebounds entering the game, but finished with six points and four rebounds in 35 minutes.

Johnson finished with 15 points, while Wintering added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Charlotte, N.C. native played all 40 minutes once again, the sixth straight game without coming off the court for Wintering.

Wintering also moved into a tie for second place with Adam Quick (2000-03) on UP's career assists list and now has 529 overall. He now only trails former NBA standout and Pilot Hall of Fame member, Darwin Cook (1976-80, 573).

Junior forward Gabe Taylor, the hero on Friday with a game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds, was solid with 12 points and nine rebounds. Redshirt freshman Chier Maker recorded his first field goal of the season and added four points in three rebounds off the bench.

The 45 points allowed was the lowest for a Pilot opponent since Pepperdine lost at UP by a 53-43 margin on Jan. 7, 2012.

Portland held Oregon State 28 percent shooting for the game, outrebounded the Beavers by a 44-24 margin, and had a 24-14 edge in points in the paint. The Pilots shot just 39 percent overall and committed 16 turnovers which allowed the Beavers to stay in the game.

Both teams struggled to find a rhythm early as the score was tied at 22-22 at the half.

Portland will have a quick turnaround and host crosstown rival Portland State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Chiles Center. Tickets for all Portland home games are available online at PortlandPilots.com/Tickets.